Original Press Release

Henkel Launches Next-Gen Underfill That Has It All

Press release date: May 26, 2009

In a remarkable breakthrough for underfill materials development, Henkel has engineered and launched a new underfill system that delivers on an unprecedented array of complex and demanding requirements, including room temperature fast flow, low temperature cure and reworkability. The new material, Hysol® UF3800(TM), has been specifically designed for use with today's CSP and BGA devices and is particularly well-suited for handheld communication and entertainment applications.
Hysol UF3800 flows fast at room temperature and cures quickly at low temperature. The lack of need for substrate pre-heat combined with the material's faster flow and low temperature quick curing mechanism, enables manufacturers to reduce energy costs, eliminate capital equipment expenditure associated with dispensing system heaters, and substantially improve throughput rates. In addition, the material is reworkable, which improves final yield while allowing assembly firms to maintain environmental responsibility through the reduction of scrap. Sustainability is also a key component of Hysol UF3800, as it is a halogen-free material that meets the current accepted industry standard of less than 900 parts per million (ppm) chlorine (Cl) and bromine (Br).
One of the more common issues with traditional underfill systems has been underfill/solder paste compatibility with today's lead-free and halogen-free solder formulations. Incompatibility can lead to incomplete underfill cure and, ultimately, device failures. Hysol UF3800, however, is compatible with a variety of lead-free and halogen-free solder pastes, conferring exceptional process flexibility, outstanding performance and in-field reliability. In addition, the unique chemistry of the material offers a relatively high glass transition temperature (Tg) required for improved thermal cycle performance as well as good reworkability - two properties that are normally counter to each other. In most cases, reworkable materials have a low Tg, which then also lowers the thermal performance. But Hysol UF3800 offers both a high Tg and reworkability.
"Manufacturers want to reduce overall costs, but they don't want to do so at the expense of performance or processability," explains Dr. Michael Todd, Henkel's Vice-President of Product Development and Engineering for the company's Semiconductor and Electronics Assembly divisions. "With Hysol UF3800, assemblers now get their wish: exceptional performance, cost-efficiency, environmental responsibility and process flexibility. This material has it all and then some."
Adding to the long list of benefits, Hysol UF3800 also offers stable electrical performance under temperature humidity bias (THB), an essential performance metric as devices continue to get smaller and I/O pitches become tighter.
"Traditional commercial underfill products do not offer the combination of benefits delivered by Hysol UF3800," concludes Todd. "Other materials may provide some - for example, fast cure and reworkability characteristics - but not the complete range of unique advantages delivered by Hysol UF3800."
Hysol UF3800 is the only known commercial material to provide fast flow at room temperature, low temperature fast curing, high Tg, reworkability, excellent thermal performance and stable electrical performance under THB - all in a single formulation. For more information on Hysol UF3800 or any of Henkel's advanced underfill technologies, contact Henkel via phone at +1-949-789-2500 or online at www.henkel.com/electronics.
About Henkel For more than 130 years, Henkel has been a leader with brands and technologies that make people's lives easier, better and more beautiful. Henkel operates in three business areas - Home Care, Personal Care, and Adhesives Technologies - and is ranked among the Fortune Global 500 companies. More than 60 percent of Henkel's sales are in fast-moving consumer goods, while the industrial business accounts for almost 40 percent of the company's total sales. In fiscal 2007, Henkel generated sales of 13,074 million euros and operating profit of 1,344 million euros. Our more than 55,000 employees worldwide are dedicated to fulfilling our corporate claim, "A Brand like a Friend," and ensuring that people in more than 125 countries can trust in brands and technologies from Henkel.